Many first choice Socceroos are unavailable for this match, prompting some fans to feel somewhat short-changed. In my opinion our chances are so rare to watch the Socceroos, particularly LIVE on Australian soil, that we should cherish every chance we get. The fact is that the squad selected for this match is likely to provide the bulk of the squad that will fight out our qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa (well, maybe South Africa).

Timmy Cahill and Archie Thompson appeared on Rove (Channel 10) on Sunday night, while Lucas Neill appeared on Sunrise on Sunday morning.

Socceroos players will be appearing at Westfield Parramatta, Centre Stage, Level 2 at Midday for a "Diving Competition".

Aussie fans will be able to watch a full training session at Telstra Stadium on Thursday. The session starts at 4pm, entry is free via Gate H.

Australia play Uruguay on Saturday, June 2 at 8pm, with tickets still available from Ticketek.

Soccerwhos Charity Trophy

The Socceroos may play Uruguay on Saturday night, but during the day, in the build up to the match, The Soccerwhos host a friendly tournament of Aussie fans from around the country.

The Soccerwhos celebrate half time during their "World Cup" match in Germany (Photo: Tim Clayton)

The tournament will involve The Soccerwhos, Dinamo Marinators and Aussies On Tour. The Soccerwhos are comprised of football fans from Sydney, while Dinamo Marinators players come from the Central Coast. Aussies On Tour squad members come from all over Australia.

These types of matches foster friendly rivalries amongst football fans who may support opposing club teams and who might otherwise not want to have anything to do with each other. The aim of the Soccerwhos Charity Trophy tournament is to allow fans from across Australia to get to know each other better. Hopefully this will help these fans work together to achieve a more coordinated effort when it comes to support at Australian national team matches.

The tournament will be played in a sporting manner. Each player will be making a donation to charity. Spectators are more than welcome.

I attended all of Sydney FC's recent trial matches (except one), as they took the game out to the people in Sydney's supposed cradle of football, the west.

I experienced first hand how "difficult" it is to travel from the CBD to the west. The gig is up! Aussie Stadium is the best, and the easiest, stadium to get to for the majority of the population in Sydney.

I was shocked at suggestions that Bluetongue Stadium is closer to Edensor Park than Aussie Stadium. In fact, the reality is quite the opposite, and I'm sure any of the three or four hundred spectators at Edensor Park for Sydney FC vs. Malaysia could tell you likewise.

Build it and they will come? Sydney FC played a friendly against Malaysia at Edensor Park in front of a miniscule crowd on May 17. (Photo: Adam McLean)

While the attendance at Edensor Park was disappointing, the match at Penrith was a different story; An unadvertised match drew nearly 5,000 spectators and showed that Penrith will almost certainly be the base for a second Sydney team, if and/or when a second Sydney team is admitted into the A-League (and this won't happen for at least 3 more years).

One thing is for certain, Sydney's west does not currently have the infrastructure to support an A-League club. The locations of the grounds, their lack of parking and the lack of adequate public transport mean that all the current complaints about how it is "too hard" to get to the football will remain, even after the arrival of another Sydney team.

Beckham back in

David Beckham has been recalled to the England squad for the Euro 2008 qualifier in Estonia on June 6.

David Beckham recalled to the England national team Saturday, after a long absence. (Photo: AP/Paul White)

Gary Linekar is spot on when he points out the lack of depth in the England squad.

"Talking about players like David Bentley, who has also been named in the squad for the first time, and Jermaine Pennant is all very well, but they are nowhere near Beckham's standard yet.", wrote Linekar.

A friend and I were recently discussing the Beckham situation. My friend said "So what if Beckham is 'up himself', there's still no other English player that comes close to him in his preferred position. (McLaren) Leaving him out of the squad is ludicrous."

I'm sure some of you remember the concern many Socceroos staff, and supporters, had during the 2006 World Cup Qualifying campaign, when there was a chance Ecuador would finish fifth in the CONMEBOL qualification region.

FIFA has set the limit at an altitude of 2500 metres.

The Ecuadorian captial Quito (the full name is San Francisco de Quito) is the second highest capital city in the world, with an altitude, on average, at 2,800 metres above sea level.

But that's nothing; Bolivia play their home matches in La Paz, which, at more than 3,600 metres above sea level and is the highest capital city in the world.

McClaren's first act as manager was to discard Beckham into the international wilderness after his poor showing at the 2006 World Cup, but the former Middlesbrough boss has brought Goldenballs back into the fold after some thrilling performances for Real Madrid.

However, the decision was taken against the advice of McClaren's assistant, former Socceroos boss Terry Venables, while critics argue McClaren has bowed to fans who were demanding their former captain's inclusion.

Has he lost face with this about turn? Is McClaren admitting he was wrong in the first place? Has he caved in to popular opinion?

Or, is he just doing the sensible thing with the former England captain back to his formidable best?

Sydney coach Paul Roos has vented his frustrations about the "outdated views" held by some footy commentators, especially ex-players.

"I think for some of those it's time for them to put their hand up and say, look, I don't understand the game, I'm better not to comment on it because I really don't know what's going on," Roos was quoted as saying.

I couldn't agree with him more, especially in regards to the Swans' style of play.

All too often the Swans get slugged with the "ugly" label. They reckon the Swans' tough, accountable, high-pressured, tempo-controlling brand of footy is a blight on the game.

As far as I'm concerned, the Swans are one of the best teams to watch. At their best they are highly disciplined, ferocious - if not maniacal - at the ball and calm under pressure.

They don't blow teams out of the water and they rarely get smashed themselves. By the end a Swans game, you can usually expect to have chewed off half your finger nails because the margin between the two sides is so excruciatingly close. It's exciting, competitive footy.

Roos explained that all too often impatient commentators say such things as: "Kick it long, kick it long."

Don't they understand that that would almost certainly relinquish the attacking team's possession of the ball? Do they want teams to play smart, tactical footy, or aerial ping pong where the ball just flies backwards and forwards?

You also sometimes hear commentators voicing their shock at how half of the footy field might be empty of players at certain times in a game. Flooding is here to stay. No matter how much they may not like it, they've got to get used to it.

Do you reckon Roos is right? Are some commentators confused about the modern game?

The Daily Telegraph had a twelve page State of Origin liftout, but quite frankly there is a much more important game on tonight.

Sydney FC must win, away, in Japan, against Urawa Red Diamonds. Achieve this and they make history (again) by reaching the Quarter Finals of the Asian Champions League. From here on in it's all knockout football for Sydney FC, and, when you reach that stage of a tournament, anything can happen.

Reds defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka remains in doubt after he missed a J-League match last weekend with a leg injury, but aside from that there are few problems for Urawa.

Sydney FC, on the other hand, have Robbie Middleby suspended, while Mark Rudan and Ufuk Talay have calf and hamstring strains respectively. Iain Fyfe picked up a knock during training, but will be fine.

It will be a pressure cooker situation at Saitama Stadium, with 60,000 passionate fans expecting Urawa to get past the group stages for the first time in their history.

The Reds require only a draw from this match, but Branko Culina believes this could work in Sydney's favour.

"We are far more comfortable when we are allowed to express ourselves and play our attacking football," said Culina.

"I think the pressure will be on Urawa Reds who, like us, like to attack.

"All of a sudden they will be required to sit back and hold on to a result."

Well, as a life-long Liverpool fan, I guess I'm hoping for a similar result to the 2005 UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul, although I'm not sure my nerves could handle a repeat of that classic match.

Win, lose or draw (penalties again?), Kaka will almost certainly finish the tournament as the top goal scorer. He has scored ten goals, so far, during this season's Champions League, with Liverpool's Peter Crouch being next closest, with six goals. Kaka is a player of astonishing talent, who dominated both legs of the semi-final against Manchester United.

It can be argued that it was the introduction of Dietmar Hamann, for Liverpool in Istanbul, which turned the 2005 final, as the defensive midfielder became a shackle for Kaka. Rafa Benitez will not make the same mistake, with Javier Mascherano likely to take on a similar role to Hamann's in 2005, but this time for 90 minutes.

Boudewijn Zenden is likely to be fit and available for selection for this match. But the question remains: will it be Zenden or Harry Kewell on the left side of midfield? Benitez has shown tremendous faith in Kewell throughout a frustrating run of injuries and has made it clear that the Aussie winger has a fair chance of making the line up.

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is likely to allow Old Man Paolo Maldini to play through the pain of a knee problem. This will be Maldini's eight Champions League Final appearance, equalling the record for any player.

On the surface, despite not winning the first test against the West Indies, the English cricket team is travelling quite nicely. Five batsmen scored centuries, count 'em: Alistair Cook, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior and Kevin Pietersen, while Monty Panesar bagged six wickets, including a record five LBWs.

But if you listen to Geoff Boycott, among others, the team is in disarray. Here's why.

The English management seems intent on rushing both the injured Andrew Flintoff and Michael Vaughan back into the team. Boycott thinks both should go back to county cricket and earn their positions in the first XI.

But it's likely this will not happen. So Vaughan and Flintoff will be back in, if not for the second test starting this Friday then certainly for the third. Who do they leave out?

Owais Shah will most likely make way for Vaughan but the selectors have already said that Flintoff will be picked as an all-rounder not as a frontline bowler, which means one of the centuries makers will have to make way for the Lancastrian. Out-of-form, but class players, replacing in-form players.

A luxury of riches one may think, but here's the rub. England's batting is not the problem, it's the bowling.

Matthew Hoggard was injured during the first test and fast bowling partners Stephen Harmison and Liam Plunkett were, to be kind, ineffectual. The pair took three wickets between them, but did manage to concede 11 wides between them. Not the sort of wides that you see in one-day cricket, nor just wides as dictated by the rules of cricket. These were, in the words of Jonathan Agnew, super wides.

Replacements seem thin on the ground, too. Next in line is Jimmy Anderson then there are rookies such as Stuart Broad and Chris Tremlett.

To paraphrase Boycott, it's just not good enough.

What do you think English cricket should do? Do Vaughan and Flintoff need to be sent packing? Should the curtain come down on Harmison?

Interest in the French Open has picked up with Roger Federer ending the winning streak of Rafael Nadal on clay. Federer is the world's undisputed No.1 and this is the fourth time he has won the Hamburg Masters, part of the ATP Masters Series.

But, he has not won the only Grand Slam tournament, nor the other two Masters Series events, that are played on clay.

Which begs the question.

Can Federer be labelled the greatest player of all time while he has not won the French Open?

Four men have won more grand slam events than Federer (10), with American Pete Sampras (14) and Australia's Roy Emerson (12) leading the way. Sampras never won the French Open with a semi-finals appearance in 1996 his best performance. Federer can at least claim to have made the final.

Emerson did win all four grand slams, but many of his rivals were competing on a separate professional circuit.

Rod Laver (11) won at Roland Garros twice and on both occasions went on to win the season grand slam. Borg (11) only won two grand slam events: the French six times and Wimbledon five. Borg, however, is the last man to win the French and Wimbledon in the same year in 1980.

But when you consider that Andre Agassi is the only man to have won both the French Open and Wimbledon in the past 26 years, perhaps the gulf between the two surfaces, grass and clay, is too big for even the greatest modern-day players to bridge.

Bowing to pressure from Peter Warrington, Shane Watson anounced he will pursue Justin Langer's recently vacated Test opening post. The move may surprise the majority of the cricketing public - Watson has batted no higher than No. 7 in his three Tests - but not Mr. Warrington, who predicted this very scenario on May 1. Check out Peter's post (between "Geoff Lawson's Mum" and "disco dave"), and enlighten us as to your thoughts on Watson's proposed shift up the order.

Is Watson's technique up to the rigours of opening at Test level? And should Peter Warrington be fast-tracked onto Australia's panel of selectors, alongside Sam, Osmond and Pope Paul VII?

From this morning's Herald:

ALL-ROUNDER Shane Watson is planning an audacious bid to replace Justin Langer as Australia's Test opening batsman.
Watson, who has opened for Australia's one-day side and is a permanent fixture in Queensland's top order, says he could fill the void created by Langer's retirement, thus affording selectors the luxury of picking two all-rounders in the team - assuming Andrew Symonds retains his place in the side.
The proposed move up the order, Watson said, was not a forerunner to a reduction in bowling workload prompted by his shocking run of injuries. Due largely to those ailments, he has been restricted to just three Tests to date and has not donned the baggy green since November 2005.
"There is a major opportunity at the moment at the top of the order, and I definitely believe I have got the game and the technique to do the job," Watson said. "I have had a chat with a few people about it, although nothing concrete was agreed on. I just said that there is an opportunity there after Justin's retirement and I'd like to put my hand up.
"I know I can bat up the top of the order. I've done it for Tasmania, Queensland and for the Australian one-day side. Like anything in life, you see where opportunities are and you go for them. Obviously I missed a big opportunity last summer, and I'm keen to make the most of opportunities now."
Until now, it was expected that Western Australia's Chris Rogers and New South Wales' Phil Jaques would duel for the right to partner Matthew Hayden atop the Test order in the summer.
But Watson also presents a strong case. With the retirements of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne last summer, another bowling option would provide Australia's new-look attack with added flexibility. And, with Symonds finally finding his feet at Test level, the move to add Watson as opener would alleviate a potential selection battle for the Test team's all-rounder position.
Watson has proven his batting flexibility in the one-day side, holding down every position from one to nine over the course of his 65-match career. But it is as an opener that he has shone brightest, scoring 293 runs at 41.85 from eight matches, including four half-centuries.
"His efforts opening in one-day cricket show you that he has got the set-up to play the new ball," said incoming Australian coach Tim Nielsen. "You always look at all the options in front of you, but if Watto is keen to adapt his game to fit into the team, you'd be mad not to encourage it.
"Rogers and Jaques have shown a lot of consistency over the past few seasons and they'd be hoping to be first cabs off the rank. [But] there is also an argument that a move towards Watto would give the team more flexibility."
Watson, meanwhile, reaffirmed his loyalty to Queensland, thus ending speculation linking him with a move to NSW in the off-season Recent reports said Watson was purchasing property in the Sutherland Shire and the 25-year-old had been touted as a possible Blues recruit.
"If I was to buy a place in Sydney, it would be a base, not a home," he said

Big matches for the Olyroos and Sydney FC. We also concentrate on the immediate futures of some of our Socceroo stars as many of the overseas league and cup competitions reach their climax.

Sydney FC vs Malaysia

Sydney FC will play a friendly match against the Malaysian national side on Wednesday, May 16, 7.30pm at Sydney United's Sports Centre (Edensor Park). $10 for adults and $5 for concessions. Fans under 16 will get into the ground for free.

For Malaysia this match is part of their build up for the Asian Cup, where the country will be one of four host nations.

For Sydney FC this friendly is a warm up for their AFC Champions League Group E decider against Urawa Reds in Saitama, Japan.

Sydney will have a number of players unavailable for the friendly match, notably Adam Casey, Mark Milligan and Nikolai Topor-Stanley will be on national team duty with the Olyroos, as they play a crucial Olympic qualification match against Iran in Adelaide on the same evening.

Olyroos vs. Iran

The Olyroos will play their penultimate group match in the second stage of Olympic qualification against Iran at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide on Wednesday, May 16 at 7pm.

Both teams level on points in second position in the Group D, four points behind Saudi Arabia. Only the top two teams in the group will progress to the third and final stage of qualifying, where the remaining 12 nations will be split into three groups.

Therefore, this match will go a long way to deciding who will go through to the third stage with Saudi Arabia.

The Olyroos go into Wednesday night's clash with the strongest squad available of the campaign so far. The squad at Rob Baan's disposal is as follows:

NB- One altreation, Stuart Musialik has been ruled out with a hip injury, so defender Peter Eleftherakis (Campbelltown City, South Australia) will come into the squad for this match.

UEFA Cup Final

Espanyol vs. Sevilla

Sevilla are clear favourites to win this Cup final, they remain in contention for a treble (UEFA Cup, La Liga and King's Cup), but this could work against them.

Espanyol, currently languishing in 12th position in La Liga, and with the UEFA Cup title their only means of competing in Europe again next season, had the luxury of resting players (including arguably their two best, Tamudo and De la Peña) during their league match on the weekend. They still managed to take a 3-1 lead into half time against title contenders, and current leaders, Real Madrid, before succumbing 4-3 at the Bernabéu.

Qualification for European competition is not the only added motivation for The Periquitos (nickname of Espanyol, equivalent to Budgerigars), Sevilla coach Juande Ramos is a former coach at Espanyol and it is fair to say that a number of his former players continue to bear a grudge.

However, having built a case for Espanyol, I am going to tip Sevilla for the win.

The match will be televised LIVE (from Hampden Park, Scotland) on SBS from 6.15am on Thursday, May 17.

England

The English Premier League has come to an end, with Manchester United crowned worthy champions (and that's not something I enjoy writing).

Manchester United will play Chelsea FC in the FA Cup final this Saturday. Both sides will claim a double should they win, however the double for Chelsea will be far from impressive, particularly with the high expectations of their Russian financier.

One wonders whether Jose Mourinho will still be at Chelsea's helm next season. Love him, or hate him, he is an endless source of amusement. Jose Arrogantio

Need a lift to training?

My own car has been out of action for a few weeks with brake trouble, so I know how difficult it can be to continue bugging people for a lift to training.

I wonder who'll give him a lift? It won't be John Aloisi. According to sources in the media, the Roar's offer was not good enough to entice the "right" Aloisi to Queensland.

Where to 'duka

It's nice to be wanted. Middlesborough coach Gareth Southgate has made no qualms about how much he wants Mark Viduka to stay at the Riverside. Viduka is not giving too much away (Viduka in no rush to decide Middlesbrough future) and will arrive fit and ready, and in sensational form, for the Socceroo's Asian Cup campaign.

Kewell

Another player who will hopefully be fit and ready (and available if his club allow it) for the Asian Cup is Harry Kewell. The Liverpool winger has recently returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines after recovering from multiple operations to cure recurring injury problems.

Harry returned as a substitute in a Liverpool Reserves match (where he was impressive), before also coming on as a substitute in Liverpool's final two Premier League matches of the season, against Fulham and Charlton.

Against the Addicks, Kewell came on after 57 minutes and turned in a top-notch performance, being involved in Xabi Alonso's goal, and also hitting the woodwork himself, before scoring the equaliser from the penalty spot.

Surely now Kewell will definitely take the field during the UEFA Champions League Final in Greece?

Asian Cup

These pictures of an Asian Cup match ball just arrived from the Asian Football Confederation:

Paul Roos is sharpening the axe. After two dud performances in a row, and with just one win in the past four games to gloat about [if you can indeed gloat about beating cellar-dwellers Melbourne], the Swans coach has threatened the security of some of his senior players' positions.

He hasn't named names yet and a mass cull is on hold for at least another week. At this stage just one player is likely to be bumped down to the seconds for the game against Port. But you don't have to read between the lines to realise Roos is frustrated with lots of his players' commitments to the team-orientated brand of football that won them the 2005 premiership.

As Roosy often points out, many of the players have notched up "credits in the bank'' for their performances over the past couple of years. But with a rot setting in, there's nothing like a stint in the seconds to spark enthusiasm and commitment in both the dropped player and the team as a whole.

So who should get the chop?

I reckon the Swans' problem is not its forward unit, even if players such as Mickey O have struggled to have a huge impact on the scoreboard in recent weeks.

Nor is the problem the defensive squad. It's tried its best over recent weeks despite being severely weakened by the loss of Kennelly and the unheralded Dempster.

So the place to cull from, I reckon, is the midfield, where just about all of the players have been at least a little under par.

Which of the midfielders should go? Certainly not Kirky. He is still his maniacal self, pulling off tackle after tackle and offering inspiration all across the field.

Bolton hasn't been in his best form but he still seems to be doing reasonably well. Buchanan is still being his tenacious self and Luke Ablett is usually very solid. And Schneider has been working hard too.

So for my mind, the weakest link at the moment is Ben Mathews.

Roosy might drop, say, Kieren Jack, because of his inexperience, but I won't be surprised if he decides Matthews is the one to go.

Should the Swans lose miserably this weekend to Port, then he'd have to look at dropping any one of a number of players, including, dare I say it, Goodesy! But that time hasn't come yet, so let's just focus on who might not be playing in the senior side this week.

In an unprecedented move, the federal government has ordered Cricket Australia to ban its limited overs tour of Zimbabwe. The Prime Minister confirmed this morning he had forwarded a letter to CA chief executive James Sutherland instructing him to cancel the three-match series for fear of giving "an enormous propaganda boost to the Mugabe regime".

Australia has cancelled cricket tours before - South Africa's scheduled visit in 1971-72 was scrapped by then-board chairman, Don Bradman, in opposition to apartheid laws, and Australia's visit to Pakistan in 2002 was transferred to a neutral venue over security concerns - but it is understood today's announcement represents the first occasion the government has instigated such a move. The Prime Minister told the ABC this morning: "The government through the foreign minister has written to the organisation of Cricket Australia instructing that the tour not go ahead. We don't do this lightly, but we are convinced that for the tour to go ahead there would be an enormous propaganda boost to the Mugabe regime. The Mugabe regime is behaving like the Gestapo towards its political opponents. The living standards in the country are probably the lowest of any in the world, you have an absolutely unbelievable rate of inflation. I have no doubt that if this tour goes ahead it will be an enormous boost to this grubby dictator."Is this morning's announcement a victory for commonsense, or a dangerous precedent?

Injuries, inaccurate kicks at goal and sloppy first quarters. These are the reasons most often attributed to the Swans' less-than-perfect start this season. But there's another factor - one that even the great Paul Roos wouldn't know about - that could be contributing to their performances. It's called the Sasha factor.

Sasha's one of my mates. As far as his allegiance to the Swans goes, he's no die hard fan, but then he's not a bandwagon supporter either. He watches some games and skips others depending on how he feels.

It's that feeling that is having a huge sway on the outcome of the Swans' games. This season he has watched the game against Richmond and made his way to the SCG for the matches against Brisbane and Melbourne.

But he didn't show up to watch the grand final rematch against West Coast, nor the Adelaide and Kangaroos clashes.

Put simply, the Swans lose whenever Sasha isn't there to cheer them on.

Some of you would simply call it a coincidence. But for me, it's starting to become one of those annoying superstitions. Every time he tells me he can't make it to a Swans game, I get this horrible sense of dread. I just hope he comes over to watch the game against St Kilda this weekend.

Most of us have strange superstitions - even some of the Swans players. Tadhg Kennelly plays with the tag of his shorts sticking out [see photo above] and Barry Hall wears the same lucky undies each game.

What about you? Got any odd-ball Swans superstitions you're brave enough to reveal?

MANLY'S Michael Monaghan is tipped to head to England next season, with Hull FC and Warrington both keen on his services. Monaghan is expected to decide on his future at the weekend, after being granted a release from the Sea Eagles because he wants to play halfback. Monaghan's brother, Joel, may also be on the move next season, with Sydney Roosters believed to be struggling to fit everyone under the salary cap.

Nice shorts, boys ...
With State of Origin just around the corner, Sin Bin went to the vault to produce this cracking photograph from the first series in 1980. There's Big Mal, Wally and Choppy Close. But who is the mystery man? Answers to smhsport@smh.com.au. The winner will receive a bit of league memorabilia from under Roy Masters's desk.

No Fatty spat re-run
Channel Nine's director of sport, Steve Crawley, again failed to get a mention in the acceptance speeches when the league version of The Footy Show won a Logie award last Sunday, but there was no repeat of the verbal stink that occurred when the same thing happened last year. That's because The Footy Show is back under the light entertainment umbrella at Nine. It was under the sports umbrella last year, when host Paul Vautin thanked former sport boss Gary Burns and did not mention Crawley in his acceptance speech. That led to a heated argument between Crawley and Vautin. Paul Harragon joined Vautin to accept the gong this year, with light entertainment head Cos Cardone getting a mention. Crawley was at the function but was seated at the Nine cricket commentators' table. Spies did, however, witness "Creepy" congratulating Fatty on the win.

Richie on move?

The future of outspoken St George-Illawarra five-eighth Richie Williams will become clearer towards the end of next month. The Dragons have an option on his services for next season but must exercise it by June 30 or he will become a free agent. Williams, who made a splash by sledging Sydney Roosters star Braith Anasta in the Herald before the Anzac Day game, was dropped to premier league last week and is on the bench there this week. His manager, Sam Ayoub,is not sure what plans the Dragons have for Williams. "I'll make inquiries closer to the date," Ayoub said. "I'm sure that if the Dragons chose not to take up the option, there would be no shortage of interest in Richie from other clubs."

Bird backed

The NRL match review committee did not charge Warriors prop Ruben Wiki for his hit on Cronulla's Greg Bird last weekend, but that's not to say it believed the Cronulla player took a dive. "I didn't see any evidence of diving," committee boss Greg McCallum said. "Ruben Wiki got Bird, and then, as Bird was trying to get back up, Tony Martin jammed his head - he pushes his head back down. If I was Bird, I wouldn't have got up, either."

One in, one out

Melbourne are set to announce the re-signing of Country Origin prop Brett White, but the Storm are likely to lose Ben Cross, who is wanted by other clubs. Cronulla have re-signed prop Reece Williams on a three-year deal.

Welcome to Hull

Former Manly coach Peter Sharp reckons the rivalry between the Sea Eagles and tonight's opponents, Parramatta, has got nothing on the local derby between his Hull FC side and neighbouring Hull Kingston Rovers. The teams met last weekend, with Hull FC losing 14-10. "I can't show my face in public at the moment," Sharp told Sin Bin. "Fortunately, the match was played in Cardiff. If it was played here, they probably would have lynched me." England international Paul Cooke, who walked out on Hull FC the week before to join Rovers, said: "I can't even go down the street without getting abuse."

Deadline beats Man

Anthony Mundine wanted to change his tip from Melbourne to Wests Tigers last week but phoned just after the Herald had gone to print, costing him the outright lead in our tipping panel. "I would still be in front if Souths had won against the Broncos," Mundine said. "They needed me out there. I would have scored a couple of tries for them."

Apologies to those who weren't up for another day of Gilly musings. We in the "flat-earth society" (cheers, RAK) figured developments in the story might be worthy of discussion today. But evidentally not. Accordingly, the discussion moves to Australia's tour of Zimbabawe, the fate of which could be decided tomorrow at a meeting between the foreign minister, Alexander Downer, and senior Cricket Australia officials. Do you think the Australians have a moral obligation to boycot the tour? Or should politics not enter the sporting realm? Before you comment, take a look at today's article in the Herald, amplifying a voice that is seldom heard: that of the Zimbabwean cricketer.

Sibanda says players will be losers

Again Zimbabwe's political situation has pervaded sport and, again, those with most to lose are those who can afford it least.
With the Federal Government and Cricket Australia set to meet tomorrow to discuss the coming limited-overs tour of the troubled African nation, Zimbabawe's cricketers find themselves caught in a crossfire not of their making.
Trying desperately to survive on the international stage despite a dysfunctional management structure and a mass exodus of top players, the Zimbabwean players can ill afford the Australians to withdraw from their three-match tour, even though they appreciate the sensitive political situation CA is confronting.
Vusi Sibanda, is urging CA to honour their commitment to Zimbabwe and play out the series. Aware that the Australian Government is anxious not to be seen supporting Robert Mugabe's regime, the Sydney-based Zimbabwean batsman nonetheless implored Australia's cricketers to tour if for no other reason than to assist the development of the game in his homeland.
"The players obviously have no control, so it would be pretty sad if the Australians didn't come," said Sibanda, who recently reaffirmed his intention to represent Zimbabwe. "I certainly hope that they do play. We need to challenge ourselves against the best in the world if we are to improve, and the Australians are the best there is."
Sibanda's story is a prime example of how politics has effected cricket in Zimbabwe, directly and otherwise. At just 23, he is regarded as one of the country's most senior players, following the exodus of established stars such as Heath Streak, Tatenda Taibu, Henry Olonga and the Flower brothers in recent years. Due to those losses, and the reluctance of cricket's superpowers to schedule fixtures against Zimbabwe, Sibanda has moved to Sydney in a bid to improve his game, plying his trade for Strathfield in the Shires competition last season.
For now, he will continue to play internationally. "But I am not sure what the future holds," he said.
It is unlikely that Sibanda's pleas for the Australians to tour will be heard when the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, meets senior CA officials tomorrow to discuss whether the country has a moral obligation to thwart Mugabe. Instead, issues of higher politics, potential player boycotts and John Howard's promised $2 million to cover CA's fines in the event of a tour cancellation are likely to dominate discussion.
"Normally, I'm not a great fan of bringing politics into sport," Downer said this week. "But in this particular case I think it is appropriate we should ... take a very [tough] stand against Mugabe's regime and do our best to stop the cricketers."
Right and wrong in these cases are often difficult to separate. In some quarters, Stuart MacGill's stand-alone boycott and the New Zealand government's past refusal to issue visas to Zimbabwean cricketers have been celebrated; in others they have been criticised.
But through all this, the voice of the Zimabwean cricketer is seldom heard. And it is them who have most to lose.

Australia's World Cup-winning coach, John Buchanan, has launched a stern defence of batsman Adam Gilchrist against charges of "unethical" conduct made by a senior Sri Lankan official this week.
Buchanan described as "disappointing" the comments made by Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Kangadaran Mathivanan relating to Gilchrist's use of a squash ball in his batting glove during the World Cup final. The improvised batting aid has since been deemed legal by a senior Marylebone Cricket Club official.

"Everybody will be disappointed about this," Buchanan said. "The final should be a celebration of cricket and Adam's innings was outstanding. Comments like these should be ignored by the public, and be dealt with harshly as quickly as possible.
"It's a non-issue. If you want to go down this road, where do you draw the line? Should it be illegal for players to receive strapping to injuries, or for batsmen to use extra grips on their bats?
"There is an argument that there is some benefit there. I hope that over time, people will ignore something like this and remember the innings for how good it was."
Buchanan's comments came in response to Mathivanan's claim that Gilchrist's use of the squash ball was "unethical" and contravened the spirit of the game. Mathivanan threatened to take the matter up with the International Cricket Council, although such a move would appear unlikely, given that he does not appear to have the support of his chief executive or his players.

Group G may be all but decided, with Adelaide United out of contention, but Group E hangs in the balance. Urawa Reds, Sydney FC and Persik Kediri are still in the running for that top position and a spot in the final eight.

Sydney FC host Shanghai Shenhua at Aussie Stadium on Match Day 5. On paper, Shanghai are better than their single ACL competition point suggests, but are now at a stage where they have nothing but pride to play for.

Shenhua's domestic form has not been particularly impressive either, currently sixth after nine rounds of the Chinese Super League, losing away to Liaoning FC after some argy-bargy saw two Shanghai players sent from the field.

Shanghai Shenhua are China's most popular club and it is expected that they'll have more than a few supporters at Aussie Stadium tonight.

There are nine possible combinations of results on Match Day 5, with six of these giving Sydney FC the luxury of knowing what is required in the final group game. Only one combination, a loss to Shanghai and a Urawa victory over Persik Kediri, would see Sydney FC out of contention.

Other results aside, there is no room for complacency from Sydney FC, there is no use concentrating on anything but the task at hand. It's a simple equation, win the next two matches and Sydney is through to the ACL Quarter Finals.

Steve Corica and Alex Brosque celebrate a goal during the win against Persik Kediri on April 25 (photo: Steve Christo)

The goal scoring form of Steve Corica has been a key factor in Sydney's results in the AFC Champions League so far. Corica has hit four goals in four games, which makes him currently equal top scorer in the competition.

Shanghai Shenhua's gun defender, Li Weifeng, was suspended last time these two teams met, but is likely to be involved tonight.

Shanghai have remained unsettled since the merger of Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai United. Injuries have hit the club hard as have rumours of dissent by certain players. At the end of March Chinese international Du Wei was abruptly demoted from the squad for "lack of match fitness". Wei has since been recalled by coach Osvaldo Gimenez, but still the results are not coming for last year's ACL quarter finalists.

Newly appointed Adelaide United Head Coach Aurelio Vidmar will not risk those players carrying minor injuries when his team takes on Shandong Luneng at the Shandong Sports Centre in China on Wednesday night.

The Reds are already out of contention, after picking up a win and a draw in four matches. With only six more points available, they remain eight points behind Shandong, who can guarantee a spot in the knockout stage with a victory tonight.

Adelaide will be without their Brazilian striker Diego, who is suspended for this match, while Jason Spagnuolo, Dez Giraldi and Rob Cornthwaite will be rested to allow them to recover from injuries.

Bobby Petta will travel with the side, but Vidmar has indicated that Petta is only only travelling to make up the numbers. The Dutchman has recently returned from a foot injury and played the second half of a friendly match for Adelaide against Para Hills (a local Super League team), but his coach is unlikely to risk him in match with little meaning for Adelaide.

Adam Gilchrist's World Cup final-winning century has been described as "unethical" by a senior Sri Lankan official, who compared the Australian vice-captain's use of a squash ball in his batting glove to Trevor Chappell's infamous underarm delivery in 1981.
In a move sure to irritate both Gilchrist and the Australian team, Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Kangadaran Mathivanan has labelled Gilchrist's unorthodox use of the squash ball - which lightened his grip during his memorable 149 in Barbados - contrary to the spirit of cricket.

"My personal view is that it was very unethical," Mathivanan told the Herald last night. "It gave him a better grip against some of our best bowlers, and it might be something I take up at the next ICC meeting. When Trevor and Greg [Chappell] decided to bowl underarm, it was allowed then, but later the ICC changed the law for one-day cricket. It is the same here. It is against the spirit of the game. I think it should be looked at."
Mathivanan insisted several players had told him "they were a bit upset" over the use of the squash ball. That was contradicted by Muttiah Muralitharan. "That is [Mathivanan's] personal opinion; the team doesn't think that," the spinner told the Herald.
"If anything, I would think having a squash ball in your glove would be uncomfortable. I don't know if I could even hold a bat with something like that in my glove. So if [Gilchrist wants to do it], it is OK with me."
Mathivanan also received little support from SLC chief executive Duleep Mendis. When asked if he supported his secretary, Mendis said: "You must call him about that."
Gilchrist's use of the squash ball, as recommended by former WA batsman Bob Meuleman, was used to lighten his grip and stop the bat rotating in his hands.

Several cricketblogs across the subcontinent are filled with responses echoing Mathivanan's statements. What's your take on the situation? Did Gilchrist bend the laws? Or is this just poor sportsmanship from the Sri Lankans?

What's with the Swans and their lame starts this season? Have opposition teams been pumping sleeping gas into the Swans' change rooms before the match? Have the boys decided they only want to win if it involves a miraculous comeback? Do they feel superstitious about having a great start to the season? Whatever the reason, the tide needs to change.

As reported in the Herald today, the Swans have been overwhelmed in the first half of all but two of their six games this season.

And if you add in their last game of last season - the grand final against West Coast - the Swans have been forced to play comeback football in five of their past seven games. They can't pull off miracles every week if they continue to have sloppy starts.

As much as I admire Paul Roos's calm and collected manner, in hindsight he seemed far too relaxed [see photo above] before the Swans clash against the Kangaroos on Saturday night.

So, in aid of Roosy and the boys, the Slog has devised a five point plan to ensure the Swans are in top gear when the first ball is bounced against St Kilda this weekend.

1. The team must watch the first half of the 2006 West Coast grand final prior to this weekend's game.

2. Following the video session, they should play a quarter of football against the Swans' seconds side.

3. In the huddle before the start of the game, Kirky should give the boys one of his famous inspirational speeches.

4. Then, give St Kilda a four goal lead before the first ball has even been bounced.

5. And finally, set the clock so that the Swans think there is only one quarter of football left in the game.

The maverick Portuguese has failed to secure the Premier League title this season, he has been unable to win the Champions League in his three seasons in charge at Stamford Bridge and he has had a highly-publicised fallout with multi-millionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

But does Mourinho really deserve to go? He has won consecutive Premier League titles in his first two seasons in charge and has transformed the west London club. Could he have done anymore?

Harry Kewell could get the chance to exorcise the demons of Istanbul, where he was forced off with an injury and could not contribute to Liverpool's famous comeback against AC Milan in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final.

Kewell is unlikely to be in the starting eleven against Milan (or is he?), however he is a good chance of making the substitutes bench when Liverpoll clash with Milan in the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final in Athens, Greece.

Harry Kewell at the Australian National Team's hotel during the 2006 World Cup in Germany (photo: Tim Clayton)

Having recently returned from a long injury lay off, after a series of surgeries during the off-season, Harry played his first competitive match in almost a year, when he played in a Liverpool Reserves match on April 30.

He came off the bench after 55 minutes and, only 5 minutes later, he beat two opposition players down the left wing before setting up a simple tap-in goal for teammate Craig Lindfield. He set up another golden opportunity, but Paul Anderson's shot was brilliantly saved by the opposition keeper.

The senior Liverpool team has four more games remaining this seasom. They play 3 more league matches, starting with Fulham this Saturday, and then there is the little matter of the Champions League Final (at 4.45am Thursday, May 24, Sydney time).

It all bodes well for the Socceroos as, by the time the Asian Cup is in full-swing, Kewell will be as fresh and injury-free as he has been in a long, long time (hopefully I have not cursed him with these comments).

Kewell in full-flight for the Socceroos (photo: Vince Caligiuri)

Will we see Harry come on late in the UEFA Champions League Final as an impact player? Could he win the match for Liverpool? Will he be back to his best for the Socceroos at the Asian Cup? Is he ever going to recapture the form he had back in his halcyon days at Leeds United?

UEFA Cup

An all-Spanish final will be contested by Sevilla and Espanyol at Hampden Park, Glasgow on May 16.

As Australia's cricketers gingerly work off their hangovers over the next few days, they will face the kind of sobering questions that, in the current climate, will seem as popular as prune juice at a World Cup after-party.

Did the world just witness the zenith of Australian cricket? And, if so, will the journey from the peak take the form of a gentle decline or a sheer drop down a jagged cliff face?

Ricky Ponting gave a telling insight into Australian cricket's delicate position when, in the space of an hour yesterday, he described his side's dominant performance at the World Cup as something "never seen before in international cricket", then outlined the challenges faced by the team in the wake of the retirements of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn.

That may seem akin to winning a foreign lottery, only to dwell on the tax implications. But the Australian captain is a realist, and with four senior Test positions to fill, he appreciates the complex set of circumstances the next 12 months will bring.

"I actually see it as one of the most exciting phases of my career," Ponting said. "The most important thing is that the older guys in the team have to keep maintaining their high standards, and if we have to carry some of the younger guys through for a while, so be it."

Australian cricket observers have long dreaded the retirements of Warne and McGrath. Finding a replacement for one bowler was always going to prove difficult; replacing both a virtual impossibility.

Still, there is hope. In the fast bowling ranks, Australia appears to be well served at present, and even enters the new season with the option of a breakneck new-ball combination of Brett Lee and Shaun Tait to complement the ever-accurate Stuart Clark.

As for spinners, Australia will hope that Stuart MacGill, at age 36, will be able to bridge the gap between Warne and the next generation of wrist spinners, headed by the newly contracted Cullen Bailey.

But, even with the best contingency plans, will Australia's next generation be able to sustain the team's run of success?

"It is definitely going to be a challenge," said vice-captain Adam Gilchrist. "But we're too well set up. We've got such a good infrastructure. We're the world leaders big-time in that area alone, let alone every other area that we dominate the world in."

Michael Hussey, who, along with Ponting, will form the heart of the Australian top order for years to come, was more cautious.

"You can't replace these guys," Hussey said. "It's going to take time for new players to come in, settle into international cricket and make their mark."

After a period in which the Australian team has gauged itself by the number of cups, trophies and (replica) urns in its cabinet, a new formula for success may be required - at least for a while.

In the meantime, Ponting, his senior players and incoming coach Tim Nielsen will all be aiming to guide the team through the current tumult and into another period of sustained excellence.

Everyone knows Adam Goodes hasn't been his usual sublime footballing self of late. His possession count has been down on last season. His poise and gracefulness on the field has been missing. And his ability to impact the outcome of games has been limited at best.

Goodes knew it, and with pressure mounting to lift his game to the standard that won him two Brownlow medals, he has become noticeably frustrated.

The first serious sign came in the game against Adelaide, when he cost us a goal after giving away a sloppy 50 metre penalty.

Then, last week against Melbourne, with the Swans in clear sight of victory, he did the dumbest thing he's ever done in his illustrious career. He took out his frustrations on his opponent, Simon Godfrey.

For a bloke whose never, even in his junior days, been reported, and who only last year was given AFL's highest honour for fair and outstanding play, last night's trip to the tribunal must be considered the lowest ebb in his career.

But in a strange twist, it is probably going to be the thing that gives Goodesy the kick up the bum he needs.

Goodesy is a team player, and he won't be bothered in the slightest that he's out of the running for the Brownlow.

His only interest is in supporting his Bloods brothers, who have a huge job this weekend when they take on a resurgent Kangaroos outfit without the in-form Irish jig-master Tadgh Kennelly and possibly Amon Buchanan and Luke Ablett.

Expect Goodesy to have a blinder this weekend.

What are your thoughts on Goodesy's form and how he'll handle being out of contention for the Brownlow.

Young legspinner Cullen Bailey is officially in the mix for the vacant spin bowling spot left by Shane Warne's retirement from the Australian Test team. The 22-year-old South Australian was today named in Cricket Australia's list of 25 contracted players for the 2007-08 season.

Veteran Stuart MacGill is still there, and with World Cup star Brad Hogg, youngster Dan Cullen and Bailey, he makes up a quartet of spin options among the 25.